Method of producing gas.



0. H. ENSIGN. METHOD 0F PBODUUING GAS.

APPLIoATxox FILED nu 27, 1909.

1,064,625. Patented June 10, 1913.

5 BHEETHHEBT L Fig-1- /65 64 a i 7 f f 6? 63 0. H. ENSIGN.

METHOD OP PRODUGING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 190s.

1,064,625. Patented June 10, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2A 0. H. BNSIGN.

METHOD 0F PRODUGING GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY Z7, 1909.

1,064,625. Patented June 1o, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

0. H. ENSIGN. METHOD 0F PBODUOING GAS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED un 2v, 1909.

1,064,625. Patented June 10,1913.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

'UNITED STATES nT )XhTlllT OFFICE.

ORVILLE H. ENSIGN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

METHODy OF PRODUCING GAS.

Specification of Application led May 27,

To atl whom t muy concern Be it known that I, ORVILLE H. ENsiGN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Methods of Producing Gas, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the production of gas from crude-petroleum andair with or without steam, for power and other purposes.

This invention relates to improvements upon the Amet method of andapparatus for producing gas, said method being described in LettersPatent of the United States, No'. 555,903, patented Apr. 28, 1908, to E.H. Amet, for method of producing gas.

Objects of the invention are :*to produce a minimum oxidation of theconstituents of the fuel; to directly utilize in the most convenient andefficient manner the asphaltum or other heavy or stubborn constituentsof the hydrocarbon-fuel for the purpose of\ maintaining the heatnecessary to distil, dissociate and recombine the elements to producethe inflammableV gas; to minimize the production of solid or liquidby-productsA such as coke, lamp-black, and coal-tar; to produce auniform quality of gas throughout the operation of the apparatus,regardless of the quantity producedgto minimize the size and cost ofapparatus, and as far as possible to make the production of the gas anautomatic operation with a minimum amount of attention and labor.

An object of this invention is to make a producer-gas containing amaximum percentage of4 hydrocarbon gaseous compounds, a comparativelysmall percentage of carbonmonoxid, a desirable percentage of freehydrogen for power purposes, and minimum percentages of carbo-n-dioxidand nitrogen; said producer gas being rich in illuminants LettersPatent.

gen and carbon-dioxid is kept down to an extent not attainable by formerproducerprocesses using the same character of fuel.

Some of the features of improvement over methods heretofore known are asfollows keeping the fuel automatically at a constant temperature andhence constant Viscosity, so that it will flow at a constant ratethrough a fixed orifice or opening for any particular constant pressureapplied; maintaining an accurate ratio between the fuel supplied and theair supplied, by applying the air-pressure on opposite sides of a resistancc in the air-supply source, to the opposite sides of a resistancein the oil-supply source; regulating the amount of gas made, to meet thedemand, by controlling the amount of air supplied; regulating the steamsupplied to the generator in proportion to the amount of gas made in thegenerator, which is in detail controlled by the amount of heat liberatedagainst a fixed heating surface of steam-generating apparatus;andlfurthermore, breaking up and or dissociation which may occur in theflame-Zone of the apparatus, which pro-ducts move through passages ontheir Way to the waslung-apparatus, said passages being of such acharacter that they will retain the major portion of the heat of saidproducts of combustion and hold them together with such portion of theheat for a considerable length of time and yet allow suicientdissipation of heat to cause deposits of inicandescent carbon upon andalong the walls of said passages for the purpose iirst, of adding carbonto the carbon-dioxid produced in the lamefzone and thus lnoducingcarbon-unmoxid that van be conducted away as an inflammable gas, and tobreak up those hydrocarbon vapors which may have been distilled in thepresence of the flame-zone and not attacked by the oxygen, and thus andbeing unlike natural gas.

In the gas produced by this improved method, by far the greatestpercentage of the heat-units is contained in hydrocarbon gases, a smallpercehtage of the heat-units is contained in carbon-monoxid, a smallpercentage of heat-units is contained in free.

producing a tixed inflammable gas; pro- `fiding for the retention ofthey less volatile portions of the oil at a place where the same may beconsumed to producel heat used in carrying on the process ot' breakingup the vapors and the products therefrom and producing the fixediniammable gas. And furhydrogen which is desirable for power purposes;and the dilution of the` gas by nitrog ,then to retain all or nearly allthe unconsumed carbon and prevent its reaching recombining certainproducts of combustion the washing apparatus, and to utilize such carbonto produce fixed inflammable gas without rehandling the carbon.

The apparatus for carrying on my newlyinvented process of makingproducer-gas may be variously constructed without departing from theprinciple of the invention.

In carrying on this process, atmospheric pressure may be employed tosupply the lair and cause the flow of fuel, the suction of an engine ora blower being depended upon to cause the requisite relatively lowpressure in the combustion-chamber; but Iat present deem it moreadvisable to apply artificial air-pressure at the intake end of theproducer.

The accompanying drawings illustrate ap` paratus adapted for use incarrying on the new process.`

Figure 1 is a broken vertical mid-section on line m1, Fig'. 6, of agas-producer con` structed in accordance with this invention. Figs. 2and 3 are fragmental, sectional details showing the opposite ends of thethen mostat for regulating the temperature of the fuel. These views aretaken on line a02- m3, Fig. 6, looking toward the right. Fig. 4 isasectional plan on line Figs. 1, 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is an elevation from theleft of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a front elevation from the left of Fig.' 1 andthe ri ht of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on ine m7, Fig. l(i,looking to the left. Fig. 8 is an elevation of a plant embodyingapparatus illustrating this invent-ion. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sec`tional detail t'o illustrate the means whereby the less volatile partsof the liquid hydro` carbon, as the asphaltum, tar, and so forth, aresubjected to combustion. Fig. 10 is a view from the plane indicated byline x1, Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a section, of la different type ofcombustion-chamber- Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmental detail of thesame. Fig. 13 is a fragmental section'on line w13, Figs. 11 and 12. Inthe form shown in Figs. 11,12 and 13 the passage above thecombustion-chamber and not shown in these views will be the same as thatshown in preceding views. l

The novel method of distillation will be better understood by referringto the two forms of apparatus shown, as in each of these forms it willbe seen the mingling of the air with the f uel for the purpose ofcombustion takes place remote fro-m the point atwhieh the fuel'entersand distillation occurs. The principal advance made by this newmethodover the previous art, especially referring to the lAinet methoddescribed in United States Patent No. 885,903, dated April 28, 1908, isthat the amount of air supplied and the Inanner of its supply is suchthat the air is consumed by union with the heavier constituents only;such union taking place at a point or zone remote from the place wheredistillation of the lighter portions of the fuel occurs; thus allowingthe lighter constituents to be acted upon by the heat While free fromthe pres` ence of oxygen, the combustion of fuel only occurring inconnection with the heavy material which reaches the bottom of the com`bustion chamber because of the admission of only enough air to cause therequired com` bustion of heavy portions of the fuel. This results in atotal combustion of a minimum amount of the fuel supply and thereforeless air is supplied for a given amount of gas and less nitrogen resultsin the ultimate A noted difference in the results of the Amet processand apparatus, and the present process and the apparatus constructed inaccordance with this invention,A is that the volume of gas produced bythis invention is lgreatly in excess of the volume of air introducedWhile with the patented process the volume of gas produced ispractically equal to the volume of ai introduced.

In carrying out my newly-invented method to produce a fixed inflammablegas from liquid hydrocarbon and steam by means of the'apparatus shown inFigs. 1 to 10, air is forced from a suitable source which ma)7 be ablower of any type,-through a pipe 1 .provided at its end with aresisting orifice 2, and thence into an enlarged air-passage 3 andthrough an inlet 4 into the combustion distilling and heating chamber 5of the producer 6. The enlarged passage 3 and the inlet 4 are of suchdimensions relative to the resisting orifice 2 that under normaloperative. conditions pressure in the combustionchamber will bepractically the same as that in the enlarged chamber 3.

Oil or other fluid fuel is supplied to the gas-producer through a slot 7and over an apron or slide A which delivers it to the air flowingthrough inlet 4. The oil is supplied by means so connected to the airsupply means that whatever the quantity of air entering the producer thesame will carry a proportionate amount of oil, and will force such oilinto the combustion chamber, the proportions being so adjusted thatthere results from the ignition of the air and fuel a flame in whichonly partial combustion occurs.

The oil is supplied through a pipe 8 from an oil-circulating systemshown in Figs. l. 5, (l and 8, and which system comprises a mainunderground supply-tank f) from which oil is drawn b v a pump 10 throughsuction-pipe 11 and delivered by pipe l2 into an elevated tank 13 from-which it flows through supply-pipe 1f. a heating passage 15. a riser16. and a liorizontal thermostat-pipe 17. to the pipe 3 from which itenters the first oilreciqitarle 1S from whence it flows throughregulatable orifice 19 and passage 20 to a second oil-receptacle 21 fromwhich it may flow through orifice 7 into the combustion-chamber wheneverthe air pressures are such as to cause such flow` the surplus oilfiowing over a Weir 22 formed l by one wall of the first oil-receptacle18 which wall terminates at such a level below the bottom of the orifice7 that when the airpressure on the surface of the oil-in receptacle 18equals the air-pressure at the oil orifice 7 in the combustion-chamber5, the orifice 19 being open and the level of the oil in the secondoil-receptacle 21 being even with the bottom of the orifice 7, an amountof oil sufficient to operate the producer 6 at full capacity will bedischarged over the weir 22; so `that immediately when air is forcedthrough the orifice 2 b y reason of an excess of air-pressure'in pipe 1over that in the combustion-chamber 5, such pressure augmented by thevelocity of thejiir in the pipe 1, flowing toward the orifice 2 at themouth 27 of the Pitot tube 26, will be transferred through the Pitottube to the surface of the oil in the first oil-receptacle 18, and willconsequently reduce the level of the oil in said receptacle 18 and raisethe level ofthe oil in the receptacle 21, thus to cause a flow of oilthrough the orifice 7 depending upon the difference of pressures and thesize of the orifice 19.

It is to be understood that the variation of the level of the oil ineither receptacle may be very slight, but that the variation may be suchthat when operating the producer to its full capacitl all of the oil supplied through pipe 8 will fiow out through the orifice 7. However, it isnot necessariy that the pipe 8 supply only'enough oil to operate theproducer at its full capacity, and it is preferable that there be alittle excess to allow certainty in supply. The first oil-receptacle 18opens at its top into an airchamber 23 which has a sealed outlet 24discharging through the open air into a Waste-pipe 25 that returns thesurplus oil to the sunken oil-reservoir 9. The mouth 27 of the Pitottube 26 which connects the airsupply-`pipe 1 with the air-chamber 23 isdirected, at the center of the air-supplypipe 1, against the current ofthe inflovving air, so that the pressure of air in the airchamber 23will be determined by the velocities and pressures of the air intheair-supply-pipe. By this construction and arrangement, so long as no airis flowing through the orifice 2, no oil will flow through the orifice7. The orifice 7 is just above the level of the top of the Weir 22 sothat im mediately the air-pressure in chamber 23 is greater than theair-pressure at the orifice 7 the oil is thereby forced to rise in thesecond oil-chamber 21 and will fiow out through the oil-slot 7 at adepth determined chamber 28 over that at the slot 7, and by theresistance Aimposed by the orifice 19.

Since liquids and gases follow the same law for the-rate of flow throughan orifice for small changes of pressures, the amount of liquid fuelsupplied to the combustionchamber through the slot 7 will be alwaysproportional to any variable amount lof air supplied through theair-supply pipe 1. This assists in carrying out my process bymaintaining constant proportional relations between the oil and airsupply, thus producing a gas of an average constant quality with aresulting constant fuel Consumption for a given demand.

The oil-orifice 19 is controlled adjustably by a valve 28 closed by aspring 29 and opened by a cam 39 that is pivoted to the valve-stem 81 bya pin 82 and that engages an adjustable glandenut 83 which screws onto avalve-stcm-guide 31 that screws into the case 85 of the air-ehamber 23and fits at its farther end iiito the Weir-wall 22 of the firstoil-chamber 18, the valve 28 being of slightly less diameter than thesalve-stem guide 31 so that it may be inserted through the case 35 andthe weir 22. By turning the adjusting-nut 88, the space between thevalve 28 and the seat in the orifice 19 may be increased or decreased soas to increase or diminish the orifice 19, so that., when the handle 86of the cam is thrown up as shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 to open theorice 19, the valve 28 will always stand open at a position determinedby the position of the adjusting nut and when the handle 3G is throwndown as indicated'in dotted-lines in Fig. 1, the spring 29 will alwaysforce the valve 28 tov close the orifice 19.

The object of the adjusting-nutl 33 is to allow greater or lessquantities of oil to fiow through the orifice 19 in proportion to theair-supply and to thus increase or diminish the heat value or quality ofthe gas produced, and the adjustment remains fixed lin any one openposition for any particular quality of gas through awide range ofquantity, which quantity is determined by the airpressure and velocityin pipe 1 and communicated to chamber 23 by the Pitottube; and suchadjustment is not disarranged by opening and shutting the valve.

The rate of fuel-fiow depends upon the viscosity of the particular fuelas well as upon the difference of pressures between the levels in thefirst and second oil-chambers. Provision is made for maintaining' adetermined fiuidity of the fuel by regulatingI the temperature thereof.This is done by means of the heating passage 15 which is located at thebottom of the combustion-chamber where a wall of such chamber is exposedto the heat of the combustion-chainber.

The oil fiows through the heating pasby the excess of the air-pressurein the 1 sage 15 and its temperature is regulated by a cold-Water pipe37 carrying a variable amount of water controlled b v the action of athermostat which is operated by the temperature of the oil that tlows tothe first oilchamber 1S. The oil liows from the heating chamber 15through the riser 16 to the thermostat-pipe 17, inside of which is asensitive-rod 38 which may be of ehonitc contained in a heat-conductingtube which may be copper, aluminum. or other suitable metal. Thesensitive-rod 3S and its containing-tube 39 are both fastened at one endto an adjusting screw 4.0 which is screwed into a plug 41 in one end ofthe pipe 17. The other end of the pipe 23S) passies through astufling-box 4i). at.the other end of the pipe 17, and the ebonite-rod53S projects into engagement with a bell-cranlt-lever 12S Which ispivotally-connected with a valve 41 that is located in the bottom of awater-receptacle 45 having an overfiow-outlet 46 and valved outlet 47which comuuinicate through the pipe l-18 with the cold-water pipe 37. Aconstant supply of water is delivered to the receptacle l5 through asupply-pipe 49 controlled by a valve 50. The cold-water pipe 37discharges into the open air; the Wastepipe 51 being provided to carryaway discharge.

In the larger producers it is found to be advantageous to supply aqueousvapor to the combustion-chamber in determined proportions correspondingto the amount of heat generated in said chamber. This isl accomplishedtllrough the medium ofv a steamboiler 52, the water in which is kept ata determined level 55j by any well-known means, as a float-valve, notshown; said boiler being provided with a water-leg 54 below saidwater-level that extends into the combustion-chamber and is heated bythe heat produced therein; the vapor flowing from the boiler through apipe into the combustion-chamber through one or more outlets 5G, 57,which may be arranged at different levels as shown in the drawings.

ln the production of gas from crude petroleum and air` with or withoutsteam, the character of the gas can be varied'hy causing more or lesscomplete combustion of the heavier constituents, as the asphaltum ortar, which occur in western oils; and in order to completely utilize'these heavier constituents, the oil may be delivered from the slidethrough an air-current., or between streams of air, onto a receptaclewhich is located above an air-passage, so that the incoming air Awill bemore intimately mingled with the heavier constituents and aid theircomplete consumption for gasmaking purposes. When such receptacle atIthe bottom of the slide is omitted, gas having a certain heating valueis easily producedl with a certain -Ineunt` of lamp-black by-product,and a small amount of harder carbon; the lampblack -passing out of thecombustion-chamber and a small quantity finally appearing in thewash-water and the harder carbon clinging tothe sides of thecombustionvchamber in small quantities. lith this rev ceptacle at thebottom of the slide7 gas of much higher heating value may be obtainedwith a great reduction in the production of lamp-black and the hardercarbon.

It is essential in this process that the flow of the material over theslide after entering the heated chamber shall be slow and the distancethrough which the material must How before reaching the point ofCombustion must. be comparatively great, so that I the lighter oils willbecome distilled outside of the zone of combustion in the chamber. Viththis object. in view the slide is arranged at an angle of about (30o andits length from the oil inlet to the air inlet is about 15 times thewidth of the 'total air inlet from top to bottom and the area of theslide is about 15 times th at o'f the air inlet. By this means theamount of air admitted will only be suflicient to effect the combus tionthat is required to produce the heat necessary to vaporize the oil andtix the gas.

Vaporizinv, gasifying and fixing isetfected without any contact of thevapor with free oxygen and in this manner the dilution of the gas bynitrogen and carbon-dioxid is minimized. Furthermore by inclining theslide to a gentler slope than that employed in the Amet process, andmaking the slide so long and of such increased length and area relativeto the vertical Width and th total area of the air inlet, the heating iseffected wholly by combustion of the heavy hydro-carbonaceous materialsfrom which the lighter oils have been vaporized. Furthermore thecubic-al contents of that portion of the chamber which extends over theslide is greatly enlarged as compared with the lto keep the freshlyadmitted oil at a more moderate temperature than in the Amet patent, theobject being to allow the vaporization to take place Without anyexplosive distillation and Wit-hout any breaking up of the chemicalconstituents at that point of the operation. In this improved method theoil is spread out into a thin sheet before it is admitted to the slideand the function of the slide is simply to retard the loiiv7 of the oiland to expose the oil in such a manner as to most effectively vaporizethe li liter constituents thereof. The advantage o this method is thatthe vapors which have been distilled from the upper end of the slidereceive their decomposing and recombining heat by mingling With the redor White hot products of combustion produced from the heavierconstituents; the result being that the hydrogen combined with thecarbon in the form of distillates and vaporslis retained still 111combination with carbon 111 the iesultant gas. producing a highpercentage ot z process the air to a very great extent was' brought intocontact with these vapors; also there was nothing like the amount ot'vapor distilled. it any was at all hence the combustion or partialcombustion existent attacks the hydrogen gas thus producing water vaporinstead of producing a marsh gas or illuminantstogetherand in largequantities. Sonie marsh gas was produced and a large amount of carbonmonoxid. Much of the hydrogen was burned to water vapor and absorbed b vthe washer. The total result ot this iinproved method is a much higherefficiency because it retains in the final gas as tar as possibly canbe` the original proportions of hydrogen and carbon. Overl() per cent.of the heat units in the gas are represented by the hydrocarbon carbons.This method is particularly distinguished from im proved i lith the l otair issuing through the holes f. When the oil is ignited as by a lightwhich may be inserted through an opening /L that is ncrnially closed.ignition occurs at the bot,- tom of the slide. the air-supply fromoril'iee 2 sustains combustion. and there is prodizied a flame which.after a few moments ot operation. becomes very intense, and the radiantheat thereot acts to distil or vaporize the lighter portion ot' theliquid-fuel flowing down the slide a. so that only the heavy material.as asphaltuin or tar. drops ott' the lower edge 'of the slide. By re:son ot the grooves 'r/ the drops of cil or heavier products are causedto fall between the st "-eams of air flowing through holes j". and thesestreams supply oxygen to the saine drcps of fuel on all sides. and alsoto the i .surface of the accumulations in the recep-` thc inet processin that oxygen is excluded by special isolation from the vapors andgases evolved from the oil. save only the llame of the heaviestconstituents of the oil: the lighter elements are prevented fromkindliug or producing' llame. ln this improved method the flame whichsupplies the necessary heat is extinguished by exhausting the oxygen bymeans of a large surplus of hydrocarbon and such Haine is so regulatedas to insure the fixing of practically all the gases produced from thehydrocarbons that do not reach the bottom of the slide.

For an understanding with regard to this, reference is now made to Figs.1, 9 and l0.

taele for the combustion of such accumulations. 'l`he diops o' liquidare thus` drawn out into attenuated sheets and spread thinly over theupper inclined heated surt'ace of the plate c and in this manner aremore readily consumed. l tind in actual practice that this causes thecarbonaceous residue thaty flows from the slide to be consumed.

The plate c and in fact the whole receptacle may be omitted. and theslide may be constructed without the grooves. ln case the receiritacleis omitted the drops of oil` or asphaltum flowing troin'the slide areprojected by the blastr of air underneath the slide a and are carriedbackward to lodge upon the bottom. the side walls, and the rear end ofthe generator, where they tinally lose all fluid matter and remain as.small grains of hard coke which are apty to cement together and form amass rot' coke that may linally require that the The liquidfuehgpreferably petroleunn--Q i: between which and the bottom of theslide i is a receptacle (l that is arranged to receive the di'ippingsfrom the bottom of the slide a` and that-may or may not be provided onthe side which extends into the combustion chamber 5, with a plate ofasbestos or other refractory material slanting upward rearwardly to 'ardthe outlet from the conihustion-chamber That side of the receptaclewhich is beneath the slide o and is nearest the air-oritice 2, isprovided with a series ot holes f through which air flov's beneath theslide into the receptacle and over the contents thereof and upwardlyover the plate e when such plate is present; said slide being providedalong its lower edge on the inner side Vwith a series ot' grooves y] iopening downwardly between the holes f., so

Q slide. than would be produced without the from the slide will flowbetween the streams t producer be opened for the purpose of removing thecoke hy means of suitable tools.

By providing the receptacle and directing the drops of asphaltum orother carbonaceous residue to fall between the streams ol" air flowingthrough the holes f so that such drops are acted upon only by gravityand the induced draft. being protected from direct force of any blast.the' are not carried farther than the plate c. air ply upon the heatedthick liquid-fuel upon the plate which projects welt into thecombiistioii-oliamber and absorbs neat therefrom so as to instantly heatthe residue tallthe bottom of the slide. toe material is consumed inmuch closer proximity to the 1 oil-slide and not thrown onwardthroughout the whole length of the generator. ln other words. asl'iortcr. hotter tlanie is produced in the vicinity of the lower endot" the receptacle; and this 4in turn tends to reduce The streams ot tllt) the amount of fuel which vcan reach the bottom of the slide. andtherefore increases the amount of fuel which is distilled withoutcontact with oxygen. This is an important feature as the fuel which isdistilled without contact with oxygen ultimately forms hydrocarbongases. A stream of fresh air Hows beneath the receptacle: and into thisstream the products that flow over the edge of the plate are carried.the same being in an intensely heated condition and the undistilledportions being in a very thin sheetI become consumed readily by theaction of' the air. This is necessary to satisfactory operation withasphaltic oils because the heavy asphaltum resulting from thedistillation of such oils is not readily burned unless it is heated to avery high temperature and supplied with very hot air.

In practical operation the oil-slide a is heated from the flame in frontof it and is kept from becoming too hot by the air hehind it. Theoutflowing air takes some of this heat but does not become so hot as toinsure suflicient consumption of the residuuni falling into it unlessthe residuum itself is brought to a very high temperature. Thisreceptacle performs the function. first. of causing some of thisresiduum to be directly consumed by the air on top of it, the residuunibeing spread over the plate c in the heat of the flame: and second, tomake thatwhich is not thus consumed and which flows into the stream ofair through c, so hot that it is bound to be consumed.

By retaining the asphaltum or heavy portions of liquid-fuel close to theslide and;

causing them to burn there. thus to produce intense heat in theimmediate vicinity of and below' the freshly-supplied fuel which is onthel slide. rapid distillation is caused to occur immediately above theflame-zone thus produced. and the products of this distillation areaffected by* the heat and' are broken up into fixed hydrocarbon gas.

The steam outlets 5G. 57 are arranged at the rear end of the combustionchamber to discharge steam into said chamber at a point where thecoinoustion of the fuel'with oxygen of atmospheric air is tinished sothat the introduction of this steam will not lower flame temperature asit would if it entered at any point between the one shown and the inlet4. lf the steam is discharged.

into the generator before combustion-is complete the tendency is toextinguish the llame. The object of using steam is `to enrich the gas byso introducing the aqueous vapor that it will be decomposed and thehydrogen and oxygen from the result of such decomposition will combinewith any incandescent carbon occurring in the producer thus to formhydrocarbon gases or carbon monoxid. The steam is admitted into thegenerator by either or both of the as follows: rI`he heating surface. ofthe boiler two inlets 5T and .f'it beyond the zone of combustion andwithout excessive pressure. The amount of steam thus admitted isentirely controlled by the amount of gas made is fixed and the waterlevel is auton/iatically 'maintained constant. hence the amount of steamgenerated and introduced through the free inlets 5G and 5T. is regulatedby the amount of heat liberated in the combustion chamber which again isproportional to the amount of gas generated and the fuel thus consumed.The products of combustion pass through the outlet of the generator .3Sinto a sinuous passage lined with refractory heat insulating material.This heat insulating material is ot' such depth that in the ordinaryoperation of the generator the heat of the products of combustion and ofthe vapor-ized carbon suspended therein will be so conserved that only a,small portion of the vaporlzed carbon is condensed in the form of fineand highly-porous carbon on the passage. Such condensation will acvcumulate to only a moderate depth because. first. the carbon thusdeposited. being a poor conductor. will add to the heat insulation bysuch t-oiidensation and thus limit the depth: and second. because thecarbon-dioxid formed by any perfect combustion which may take place inthe combustion-chan'ibeiz coming in contact with this deposit ofincandescent carbon. gives up. a molecule of oxygen which attacks theincandescent carbon. forming a molecule of ct rbonmonoxid and leaving ofthe original carbon-dioxid anothei molecule of carbonnionoxid. Thechemical equation of this combination is COZ-t-(IZCO. The surface of thesinuous passage may be further kept from accumulation to a great depthby the carbon which deposits being attacked by the oxygen and hydrogenof the decomposed steam admitted below. This passage is preferably soarranged that the gases and other products from the coinbiistion-chamherare caused to he continuously stirred and to impinge against the wallsof the passage. For thc purpose of .simplicity of construction thedesign shown in the drawings is preferred. The gasesafter passingthrough the opening 58 move along into the horizontal way 5t) andimpinge against the wall 60. passing through the opening 61. through thehorizontal Way 652. iinpinge upon the wall (i3. and pass through theopening (S4 into the horizontal way 65, and so on to the outletv 66. Thesinnousness of the passage is increased by battles 660.

The opening i?? leads to the stack (3S coutrolled by a stackwalve (il).This stack is for the purpose of creating draft for start'- ing the firein the producer or for any other similar purpose. The side-Walls of theWays 59, 6:2, G5, etc.. as well as the end-walls ttland (33, etc., aresurfaces against which carbon is condensed. rThe partition-walls 70, 71,72, etc., are of heavy fire-brick or other similar material for thepurpose of diverting the flow of gaseous substances as desired. Carbonalso deposits on these surfaces. The special brick 73 and 74 aredesigned to be removable and may be got at through the doors 76 and 77for. the purpose of examining the inside of the combustion-chamber andthe first passage 59, and for the purpose if found necessary, ofremoving from these two spaces any surplus carbon which may haveaccumulated-to the detriment of perfect operation. This has beennecessary in enerators of this type heretofore, though it 1s expectedthat the improvements embodied in this invention make it unnecessary toopen the producer at any point 'except at very long intervals.

The amount. of gas generated to supply any vgiven demand is controlledby the regulation of the amount of a-ir forced into the generator asfollows:-78 is a blower supplying the air which may be driven from theengine 79 through shafting and belts 80. This blower is equipped with asafety-valve 81 having adjustable weights 89. The adjustment of theseweights limit the maximum pressure of air supplied, and thus fix themaximum rate at which the gas may be produced. After starting the plantlinto operation-the gas passes from the producer 6 through the pipe 83 tothe seal 84 having the overflow 85; from thence by pipe 80 to the washer87, from thence through the pipe 88 to'the holder 89 which may riseuntil full, whereu on ,the contact-arm 90 will engage l the vroe er-arm91 and through the medium of cable 92 over the pulleys 93. 94, fromwhich it runs to the lever-arm 95 of the safety-valve 81, so that uponsuch contact lthe lever-arm 95 will be operated to cause air-.to escapefromA the safety-valve and thus prevent further gas-making.

:If gas is being used or taken from the v holder by means of pipe-96 andvalve for any purpose whatever within the limits of the ,capacity of theproducer which has been -previously adjusted by the weights 82 of the'safety-valve 81, the holder upon rising Aand making contact withrockerarm,91 will only move the lever-arm 95 of safety-valve 81 to suchextent that the amount of air supplied to the producer will be inaccordance vwith the demandor use of such gas taken from holder 89; andthe producer will con tinue to make gas to meet the requirements throughwide variations of demand; the amount of air forced into the producerbeing regulated as herenbefore related, and such air will always-talteinto the producer the correct amount of oil to produce a constant valueof gas according to the adjustment of nut 33.

It is found iu practice that at certain points in the apparatus carbon\\'ill deposit in quantities detrimental to continuous operation. Suchdeposits are easily removed by opening the stack-valve G9, shutting 0Ethe oil, and allowing only air to pass through the producer. Tith theform shown in Figs. 1 to 10 this may be done at intervals varying fromone-half an hour to three hours apart, according to capacity and methodof operating the producer. T he length of time for which the stack isopen at each burning-out may be from half a minute to a minute and ahalf. It is found that in this process of burning-out the sur-- pluscarbon the oil should be shut ott1 some time before the stack-valve isopened, because the producer will make gas from the deposits for a shortperiod. and the stackvalve should only be opened when the product is 11olonger an infiammable gas but is v inert material, and this isdetermined by the flame of the usual telltale (not shown) oir thegas-main leading to the holder.

vWith the form of combustion chamber shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the partsoutside the combustion cliaml er u'ill be of a constructioncorrespondiug to that previously described` but the oil is' admitted atone end of the combustion chamber and the air at the other. 98represents the restricted orifice through which the air enters a passage99 and thence flows between the grids 100 into the combustion flue 101.The fuel oil will enter through the oil slot 102 and flow into the oilreceptacle 1.023 passing through the port 101 underneath the iron batiie105 and thence over the edge 106 of the oil receptacle 103 down thefaces 107, 108 of the combustion flue. When this oil reaches the bottomof this flue, it will accumulate in the grooves 109 formed in the top ofthe grids 100 and' here may be ignited through the normally closedopening 110 provided for the purpose, and combustion ensues in the iiue,thus readily heating the same. For a time o-il will continue to flowdown t-he faces 107 ad 108, and will reach the grids` combustionoccurring from the. grids upward. Such combustion and the productsthereof, heat the who-le exposed interior of the combustion fine and thechamber and passage leading therefrom: and the radiant heat from thewalls and also the heat from the products of combustion passing over theoil in the receptacle 103 will cause distillation of the lighterhydrocarbons to' occur from the surface of such oil, while the heavyresduum consisting of asphaltum or other combustible material will passdownward through ports 104 under the baffle 105. and will flow thenceover theedge 106 and down the faces 107 and 108, Where they will' besubjected to the heat in thecombustion flue, and thus will be readilyconsumed in such isofflue or the immediate Ivicinity thereof. The airbeing admitted to that side of the fille opposite the faces 107 and 108,becomes heated as it rises. The asphaltum progresses through the flamezone toward the air-supply, and is thus hcated so that combustion takesplace readily in contact with the air. The distilled products from theoil in the receptacle 103 will` as described with reference to theapparatus of Figs. 1 to 10, mingle with the heated products, and thiscombustion of the residuum and. Howing on into the passage beyond thereceptacle will be broken up by theheat of such combustion to producehydrocarbon gases` the same as heretofore described. It is understcodthat the relative proportions of the receptacle 103 and surfaces 107 and108 are not limited to those shown in the drawings but may be varied asmay be found necessary to secure the best. results.

A distinctive feature of this process is that the freshly-supplied fuelapproaches the zone of combustion in a thin sheet, and is subjected torapidl 1rising temperature, as distinguished from an instantaneousapplication of intense heat; and the combustion is maintained in suchmanner that the heat of combustion is applied at all times to thesurface of the freshly-supplied fuel under all variations of amounts ofgas made, the zone of combustion being kept close to the zone ofdistillation. Thus the various light hydrocarbon products ofdistillation of petroleum are liberated in their turn as they approachthe zone of maximum heat. At this zone of maximum heat sufficientresiduum or material which is not capable of much further distillation,is supplied to furnish the heat and to entirely satisfy the oxygen ofthe supplied air, leaving the hy- Idrocarbon-vapors previously distilledunattacked by oxygen and still in a nascent gaseous form, and being heldin this state mingling with the hot gaseous product of the combustion ofthe residuum, are broken up into closely-related hydrocarbon-gases; theultimate products showing a very high percentage of illuminants andmethane, relative to the amount of carbon-monoxid.

rIhe air, before it reaches the resisting oriflee 98, may be heated toany extent found desirable, by passing through pipes or passages incontact with any` suitable exterior portions of the ,generator Where theheat may be picked up for the purpose of heat-ing such air.

It has been demonstrated in actual practice with the form of slide Ashown in Fig. 1, that each inch in width of each slide A andcorresponding length of fuel-slot 7 and air-port 4, will generate 1300'cubic feet per hour of gas containing 23 B. T. U. when Californiaasphaltic crude-oils of 16 gravity Baum is used; the fixed gasdelivered,

containing approximately per cent. of the heat-units originallycontained in the oil supplied to the producer.

In practical operation the deposits of carbon 111 will be in anincandescent state.

It is thus seen that the process takes place inthe confined space formedby the combustion chamber and the sinuous passage; and that the depositsof carbon are produced around a mass of vapor and gases that areconstantly mixed under the action of heat and that the contents of themass of vapor and gas are subjected to contact with an external heatedsurface formed by the Walls of the sinuous chamber.

1. The method of producing gas, which consists in supplying to a heatedchamber air and hydrocarbonaceous material having light and heavyconstituents; there separating the lighter constituents from the heavierconstituents; causing combustion of the heavier constituents, therebyproducing heat; applying such heat to produce from the lighterconstituents Without kindling the same, fixed hydrocarbon-gases; minglinthese hydrocarbon-gases with the fixed products of combustion in contactwith incandescent carbon, and thus producing aI fixed inflammable gas.

2. The method of producing fixed gas, which consists in causlng acontinuous flow of air and oil into the combustion-chamber, the oilflowing toward the air; causing combustion of the oil at the confluenceof the oil and air; causing the distillation of the more volatileortions of the oil by the heat of such comustion before such volatileortion reachesthe zone of combustion, satisfying -the oxygen oftheair-supply by the combustion of the residuum and thereby maintainingsufficient heat in the zone of combustion to break up the distilledvapors and so convert that portionof the oil into hydrocarbon-gases; andthen causing these products mingled together to pass onward throughheated passages in contact with hot carbon, thus adding carbon to anycarbondioxid formed in the flame-zone and reducing this carbon-dioxid tocarbon-monoxid, the resultant gas being a mixture of carbonmonoxid,hydrocarbon-gases and a small percentage of free hydro en.

3. The method of ma ing producer gas set4 forth, which consists insupplying to a confined space, oil and air under a common pneumaticpressure and thereby causing adjustable proportionate amounts of oil andair to be supplied in said space; igniting portions of the oil andthereby consuming the air; adjusting the proportions of oil and airuntil a'flame results from the ignition of a portion of the mixture anduntil only a partial combustion ensues; employing the heat thusdeveloped to dissociate and distil Without kindling tho remainder' ofthe fuel introduced into said space. thereby producing a. heatedvaporous mass: causing said lnass to move onward meanwhile retaining theheatof the mass and continually stirring and mixing t-he materials ofsaid mass; depositing from said mass at the outer limits thereof a thincoating of ineam'leseent earbon from' portions of the gas in said mass;bringing other portions of the gas into contact with such carbondeposit` thereby tak` ing up the carbon and continuing the processwithout material cooling of the mass until there is eliminated from themass the com` bustible hydrocarbon vapors and such vapors aretransformed into hydrocarbon gases.

4. The method of producing gas from hydrocarbon oil.l which consists inmingling in a confined space atmospheric air and hydrocarbon vaporsunder a. heat sufficient to effect partial combustion and to break uphydrocarbon vapors into gases: then con` ducting the resulting productonward in a mass and causing. deposits to form around the body of thegases, maintaining such deposit at a high temperature and a fixedthickness by constantly depositing carbon .from the gaseous vapors andtaking up car` bon by gases having an afiinity therefor, thus causingthel carbon-dioxid contained within the-mass to give up a portion of itsoxygen and to take up a portion of the carbon from the deposit, therebyforming carbon-monoxid from the dioxid originally formed, also keepingwhatever portion of the fuel may be in the form of a distillate or vaporfrom tlic original petroleum at a high temperature sufficiently high togradually convert such portion of the fuel into the nearest hydrocarboncompound which is a gas.

5. In the process of making gas from hydrocarbon oils, the method setforth which consists in maintaining a heated passage having a carbonlining, and conducting therealong gas containing earbon-dioxid at atemperature to break up in contact with said lining to form acarbon-monoxid product; the temperature of said carbon lining beingpractically maintained at a degree at which the condensation of carbonand the breaking up of the carbon-dioxid will bal` ance cach othersubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The process set forth of producing fixed combustible gas whichconsists in supplying to a producer-chamber determined proportions ofhydrocarbon oil and air, causing a partial combustion of the oil in saidchamber for the purpose of producing heat suiicient to gasify the oil,thereby producing some carbon-dioxid and various other carbon compounds,conducting said products from said producer-chamber through a passagehaving a, lining of carbon, and maintaining said liningY at such atemlufrature by suitable heat-insulation as to condense the free.carbon-vapor at a. certain rate. thus supplying carbon to the moleculesot' earbon-dioxid, thereby transforming the earbon-dioxid toearbon-monoxid; the carbon thus condensed on the semi-heatinsu latedwalls being dissipated by contact with the carbon-dioxid and for anyparticular proportion of air and oil remaining practically constant indepth.

7. ln the process of making gas, the method set forth of regulating thequality of gas, which consists in applying air-pressure on oppositesides of a resistance in the air-supply source., to the opp`osite sidesof a resistance in the. oil supply source and thereby maintaining anaccurate ratio between the air-supply and the oil supply.

8. The method of regulating the flow of oil into a gas-producer, whichconsists in supplying air under external pressure through a resistanceto produce a pressure in the eombustion-chamber of the producer,supplying oil to said combustion-chamber through a body of oil having anoverflow both inside and outside the combustionehamber, a resistance tothe How of oil being introduced in the. body of oil, and applying saidexternal air pressure to such body of oil exterior to the resistances tomaintain a flow of oil requisite to supply the-producer.

9. The method of regulating the flow of oil into a gas-producer, whichconsists in supplying air under external pressure through a resistanceto produce a'pressure in the combustion-chamber of the producer,supplying oil to said combustion-.chamber through a body of oil havingan overflow both inside and outside the combustionchamber, a resistanceto the ow of oil being introduced in the body of oil, applying saidexternal air pressure to such body of oil eX- terior to the resistances,to .main a. iow of oil requisite to supply the iblucer, and adjustingthe resistance in the oil-body for the purpose of adjusting the qualityof gas.

10. In the process of making producer. gas with liquid-hydrocarbon andair, the method set forth of adjustably proportioning the oil and air,which consists in maintaining a body of oil between and in opencommunication with the combustion-chainber and with an externalair-chamber, supplying oil to said body`r allowing overflow of the oilfrom such body both outside and inside the combustion-chamber, supplyingair under pressure to an air-inlet and lthrough such inlet to theinterior of the combustion-chamber and applying a like pressure to theair on t-he surface of the oilbody outside the combustion-chamber andthereby causing the level of the oil to rise and fall in thecombustion-chamber as the pressures at the inlet and in thecombustionhain`ber relatively varv to increase and decrease the amountof oil discharged into the vombustionlchamber.

l1. The method of regulating the flow of oil into a gas-producer whichconsists in supplying air under external pressure through a. resistanceto produce a. pressure in the combustion-chamber 0f the producer undthen applyin said external air pressure to a body 0% oil having anoverflow both outside and inside the combustionchamber, and supplyingoil to such body of oil to maintain a flow thereof requisite 0' supplythe producer.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 21st day of May 1909.

ORVILLE H. ENSIGN.

In presence of- JAMES R. TOWNSEND, M. BEULAH TOWNSEND.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,064,625, grantedJune 10,

1913, upon the application of Oriville H. Ensign, of Los Angeles,Galifornia, for an imprevement in Methods of Prodneing Gas, errorsappear in the printed specilieation requiring correctibn as follws: Page8, line 88, before the word thereby insert the words at a pointeujiz'entZ-y Ter/wejrom the place of separation to prevent Contact ofthe lighter gasex with the ql/gen or lwan; Page 9, line 110, for theword "main read maintain; end that the said Letters Patent should beread with these crrectionstherein that the same mey `conform to therecord of the vase in the Patent Office. v i

Signed and sealed this 19th dey of August, A. D., 1913.

THOMAS EWING,

. Commissioner 0f Patents.

[SEAL]

